The Chicago Bears scored 25 points in the fourth quarter to pull off another miraculous comeback and defeat the Green Bay Packers 31-27 on Saturday night.
DJ Moore scored a 25-yard touchdown run with 1:43 left in the game to give the Bears the lead for the first time since a Cairo Santos field goal on the very first drive of the game.
Chicago trailed 21-3 at the half. This is the biggest comeback in the history of the franchise in the playoffs.
The Bears win the playoffs against the Packers for the first time since 1941.
Another Bears magic trick
However, things looked bad for the Bears in this playoff game at Soldier Field. After taking a 3-0 lead, Chicago saw Green Bay score three touchdowns to take a 21-3 lead. Brandon McManus missed a field goal at the end of the half and could even have added three points to this important Packers lead.
The Bears’ first half was marked by several missed opportunities, while they missed no less than three attempts in a 4th down situation during the second quarter.
Trailing by 18 points to start the second half, the Bears’ comeback began quietly when Santos made a 34-yard field goal early in the third quarter.
Santos continued his good work by adding a 51-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and his offense was finally able to give it a helping hand moments later.
D’Andre Swift scored the Bears’ first touchdown of the game with a five-yard run. After the one-point conversion, the Bears trailed by just five points.
First round pick of the Packers in the last draft, Matthew Golden greatly disappointed in the regular season. The 22-year-old receiver had only 361 yards and 14 games and failed to reach the end zone.
Golden chose his moment well to score his first NFL touchdown. The University of Texas alum took Love’s short pass and ran 23 yards for the touchdown. McManus missed the one-point conversion, however, and Green Bay was only able to take an 11-point lead.
After having an extremely difficult first half, Caleb Williams seemed like a completely new player in the final quarter. Williams responded to Jordan Love by connecting with Olamide Zaccheaus for the touchdown. Williams then spotted Colston Loveland in the end zone to make the two-point conversion and allow the Bears to get within three points of the Packers.
McManus’ night of misery continued for the Packers, however. The precision kicker missed his third kick of the game, his second field goal, to give the Bears a chance to tie the game with a precision kick.
Williams wanted nothing to do with doing overtime. The Bears quarterback passed 66 yards in just 68 seconds and ended the sequence by throwing a touchdown pass to Moore to put his team in control.
The Packers got one last chance to win the game, but Love wasn’t able to pull a rabbit out of his hat. He threw an incomplete pass toward the end zone on the last play of the game.
The Green Bay quarterback completed 24 of 46 passes for 323 yards and four touchdowns.
Love was still overshadowed by Williams, who amassed 361 air yards and threw two touchdown passes. The young Bears quarterback, however, completed 50% of his passes (24 in 48).
In his first playoff game, Loveland was Williams’ target of choice. The tight end caught eight balls for 137 yards, a record in this duel.
Romeo Doubs was the best in the Packers camp with eight receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown.
With this victory, the Bears ensure another playoff duel at home. They will face the Philadelphia Eagles or the Los Angeles Rams in the next round.
